A Sea Festival Celebrated by Representatives of Nearly Three Billion Population

Today, my wife and I are happy to be able to join with all of you in the celebration of the fifth sea festival theming “Green Cities, Beautiful Beaches, and Blue Sea.” On behalf of the Royal Government and my own behalf, I wish to express my sincere appreciation for the efforts made by concerned authorities, the governing councils of Preah Sihanoukville, as well as those of the Ministry of Tourism, and inter-ministerial commissions, in organization of this event. I am extending my sincere appreciation to every stakeholder, the private sectors also included, in making donation and participating in the festival in the past five years.

It is a pleasure indeed that we are celebrating this fifth year anniversary of the sea festival, which I had delegated Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and Lok Chumteav to represent me four times already. Today, not only the people of Cambodia that is present here. We also have participations from many foreign countries. Taking them altogether, we have a ceremony that represents a population of nearly 3 billion altogether – take for instance the People’s Republic of China – 1.4 billion; India, about 1.3 billion; Indonesia, about over 200 million; Vietnam, over 100 million, Thailand, about 70 million, and Cambodia, about 15 million […]

Visiting Six Schools; Keep the Beach Clean and Beautiful

As HE Yun Min, governor of Sihanouk province reported, I had taken my time here to see teachers and students in six different schools, and provided an additional roughly 400 new classrooms. I am so confident that for everything that we have been doing together will definitely contribute to the overall progress of our nation. Taking this very opportune moment, I wish to express once again my appreciation to HE Thong Khon, Minister of tourism, HE Yun Min and other ministers – environment and related institutions, for keeping our beaches clean and beautiful as a member of the club […]

What are the various issues that I wish to speak of today […] the rising stars of the Southwestern part of the country. We are here to celebrate the festival under the theme of “Green Cities, Beautiful Beaches, and Blue Sea.” It is so fortunate for me to be able to join with all of you and to wear such blue shirt that my wife had selected for me […] Now let me talk about the various tasks that we need to do in order to keep Cambodian beaches safe and beautiful.

Keeping Peace

I should send out messages from here for our people. They may be of concern to a number of countries too. Some may not want to hear them. First of all, I wish to say that in order for us to have chance to organize festivities like this, in Sihanoukville or in other provinces with beaches or other events in the whole country, the first task that we have to do is to keep peace. The country must not fall back in war. Cambodia suffered its ill fate when it was under development initiated and led by Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk. The Sihanoukville city had made remarkable progress when the country had for the first time its blue seaport and railway link between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. The coup unfortunately brought down Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk and led the whole country into war.

It was all because they detested Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk and his Royal Government. They decided to bring him down. Through the coup, Cambodia lost its opportunity, resources, freedom, and rights. Finally, Cambodia fell into a devastated war caused by the US imperialist aggression and later the Pol Pot’s genocide. We must see that, Pol Pot was not coming to power by itself. If the US did not bring Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk down, it was certain that war would not have happened in Cambodia, whereas Pol Pot would not be so fortunate to come to power later. I do not know for causing such tragedy for the Cambodian people and for other countries in the region, Vietnam and Laos in the so-called Vietnam War, should the US receive a Nobel Peace Prize or a trial at the International Court.

Donald Trump’s Administration Should Cancelling Cambodia’s Debts

I hope that the new US administration under Donald Trump will consider cancelling all Cambodia’s debts incurred from the Marshal Lon Nol’s time. We have had difficulties in making the Cambodian people understand those debts that (previous leaders) used in purchasing bombs and weapons that killed (their own) people. I hope that the new US administration will consider thoroughly the devastation former administrations caused to Cambodia. We have mines and UXOs all over the country. How can they do to assist us? The very least they could is to cancel all the debts incurred by the regime of Lon Nol or we should call it bad debts. Well, cancel it or not will be up to the American people and leaders think about it.

I just wish that the people of Cambodia who lost their children or those who were born under the regime of Pol Pot would not forget about the 18-March-1970 coup. I hope the US Embassy in Phnom Penh will think about this issue thoroughly […] I wish to clarify that should there be no coup supported by the US and its aggression, there would not be the regime of Pol Pot. I just hope the US Ambassador and embassy officials would not make comments that are misleading our intention to be friend of the United States of America. We just wanted the US to understand the issue and think about what to do to amend it to Cambodia.

The Middle East Colour Revolution Brings about Tragedy and Insecurity

Peace bears a significant meaning for us to maintain. At this moment, we are celebrating this event with joy on a beach in one of our provinces that are bordering on the sea and formerly saturated with blood and tear. At this very same time, people in Middle Eastern countries like Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Egypt, and Libya (in Africa) are suffering killings … In the past, while detesting Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk, they removed him from power. In the Middle East, while disliking Saddam Hussein, they accused him of possessing weapon of mass destruction. They sent in troops to overthrow him. After killing Saddam, what have those people achieved? People received nothing but deaths. Until this hour, Mosul is still under ISIS. Should those who lead colour revolution or chieftain of military aggression and their supporters receive Nobel Peace Prize or condemnation? […] Terror has now invaded to countries in Europe. In last July or August, in France, there was a case of truck driving into flock of people. Last week, in Germany, the same thing happened. While using bombs for terror is one major concern, we now have to be worried of attack by trucks.

What happened to civil rights in Europe? They declared state of emergency and exercised curfew. These limit civil rights. Refugees who seek refuge in European nations have now questioned themselves should they or should they not go there, or whether hosting countries would or would not receive them? […] That is what they have to pay for their leadership or support of the colour revolutions. I do not wish to urge them to take up responsibility but as a leader that spent three fourth of his life for the country’s peace just wish to remind them with a message that no matter what happened in our country, we have respected people’s civil rights. I also hope that since they have so many problems to address themselves, they should not go out advice others.

Any Changes Should Not Bring Cambodia Back to War

My language is a bit difficult to accept by some. However, this language stems from loving peace. I think that my words will carry message for peace and justice loving people, who detest aggression, overthrowing by force or colour revolution. Where are they now? Why they do not step out and hail deaths of people in the Middle East or in Europe? Why do they keep their mouth shut? In Cambodia, we have recorded some people’s voice that praised colour revolutions in the Middle East and Ukraine. This is the first point of my message and I apologize for using this forum to send this message across. Please join together to keep peace and refrain from allowing our country to fall back into war. Any changes to happen should not bring Cambodia back to war. (It would be a) grave insult to people’s lives. If for detesting Hun Sen or the Hun Sen’s Royal Government and the Cambodian People’s Party they hate resort to cause stability for the country, it is a bad thing and a tragedy that deserves no forgiveness.

Building Infrastructural Connectivity to Beach and Within Beach Areas

Secondly, to retain status of rising stars in South Western part of the country, tasks to do is to build infrastructural connectivity to the beach and within the beach areas. In the past, because the Royal Government’s budget was limited, we offered on concession the national road 4 for the private company to help build and maintain, through which our people paid for travelling in it. However, in the past one year, the Royal Government has brought it back and placed it under its management. People residing along the national road 4 as well as in the whole country paid no more when travelling in the road. People may save money that they previously paid for using the road for other purposes.

We also made efforts to rebuild the national road 3 and connect Phnom Penh through to Kompot and Kep and to the national road 4, and on to the province of Koh Kong. We also did our best to rehabilitate railway from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. I travelled by train once and on 30 December I will accompany our revered HM the King and Samdech Me, the Queen Mother, who will travel by train to welcome the year 2017 in the province of Sihanoukville. It is an honour once again for the people in Sihanoukville to welcome the royal trip […] we are expanding capacity of the Kong Keng Airport too. This morning I briefly met with the French VINCI company who will open more construction […] In the time to come, we will have a bigger airport and more flights will be connected to this part of the country. (Tourists) may not only stay in the province of Preah Sihanouk. They may also travel to Kep or Kompot, to visit the Bokor resort or even to Koh Kong […]

Keeping Lasting Beach, Sand, Forest, Mangrove and Isles

Thirdly, we must keep lasting beach, sand, forest, mangrove, and isles. We also need to develop more resorts. If we want our beaches to become and continue to be beautiful, we must make efforts to protect them and retain status of the most beautiful beaches member, where our forest and mangrove forest are not subjects of destruction. I could be the one who travelled most to foreign territory […] the beach in my memory that I could compare to the O Choeuteal beach of Cambodia is perhaps the one I discovered in Serra Leone, Africa […]

Keeping Good Environment – Water, Air and Nature

Fourthly, we must take measures to protect environment – water, air and nature. Hard and liquid wastes must not go directly into sea. We should not permit construction of industry that is detrimental to environment and/or beaches preserved for tourism. I welcome the development of water treatment system that clean liquid wastes before they reach to sea. State and private sector must work together to protect our beaches. We must not allow polluted air in the beach areas.

I also wish to keep a message for the forthcoming generation that they should not allow foreigners to use our isles for dumping their wastes. I have encountered such attempts three times already […] by late 1997; a multi-national investment delegation came to see me in Takhmao. They brought me an investment proposal to produce electricity by the latest technology from burning wastes brought from other countries. I gave them a question why do they have to find place to ship wastes from thousands of Kilometres away to burn in Cambodia. I told if their technology is the best and latest, they should keep them in their countries.

If we accept their assistance and investment proposal, we would become their wastes dumping sites. Whoever will take over from Hun Sen should be most careful on this point. They should not be easily flattered and should refrain from allowing anyone of our isles in sea or land to become dumping sites for wastes in other countries that they could find a place to deal with them anymore. We have more wastes ourselves too and we are figuring out how to burn them to generate electricity. However, no wastes allowed from outside for electricity generation purpose in Cambodia. This is what I advise in case I do not stay long. However, fortune-teller said I would live to be 99. Anyone who wishes to take power from Hun Sen, should think carefully of his/her hopes. As long as Hun Sen stands, their hopes would be in vain. They should not be so rude to threaten with suppression, while they do not even have power yet […]

Keeping Beaches and Isles Safe for Tourism

Fifthly, it may be the last but not least, we must keep security and safety of beaches and isles for tourism. Combating against theft is one thing but taking precaution and rescued measures in blue water areas is another important matter. Please follow weather forecasts of the Meteorology Department. When ships should or should not leave ports and precautionary measures taken for both local and foreign guests. We must avoid any incidents in the beaches areas. I also advise no gangster activities, drug trafficking included, in the beaches. Let us fight drug together for safety of our people and tourists.

Another perhaps important point, I would appeal to all four provinces along the sea to figure out finding a place where people who could not afford hotels or guesthouse and wish to come to enjoy festivities like this to stay. Phnom Penh has had some experiences in this matter when it hosted water festival. I think Sihanoukville, Koh Kong, Kep and Kompot, with the ability to host so much people for many events, could also think of preparing a place where there are latrines, running water and electricity for such visitors. They may be able to look after themselves […] we could also use junior or senior colleges and/or primary school buildings as shelters for them in case of rain. They could be safety places […]./.